Principal Process Engineer, Etch

Overview

In this role you drive the development and optimization of advanced plasma etch processes within KLA’s SPTS division. You will lead technical initiatives that improve production performance and collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to translate simulations into robust manufacturing. Your work accelerates product development through physics-based modelling and data-driven insights. This position offers nearby engagement with customers and the chance to contribute to publication and patent activity, shaping the future of semiconductor processing.

Pay / Benefits

• 25 days annual leave
• share scheme
• contributory pension scheme
• cash health plan
• cycle to work scheme
• global bonus plan’,’rewards scheme’,’life assurance

Responsibilities

• Lead development and qualification of advanced plasma process technologies
• Drive process optimization to meet customer specifications
• Develop and validate simulation models for complex engineering systems
• Perform CFD, plasma, thermal, electromagnetic, or multi-physics modelling
• Analyze simulation results and correlate with experimental data
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for reliability issues
• Mentor engineers and define best practices
• Interface with customers for demos, qualifications, and issue resolution
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including hardware, software, NPI and manufacturing
• Liaise with fields teams to ensure successful transfer of processes to field
• Establish process control strategies and SPC framework
• Lead in key PLC etch projects
• Deliver on etch roadmap targets
• Research published work relevant to KLA’s process development
• Write invention disclosures/patent applications
• Write technical papers for publication at conferences, seminars etc.
• Communicate results and ideas to management, co-workers, and other teams across the business

Key requirements

• Experience with semiconductor equipment hardware and process interactions
• Experience with simulation and modelling tools such as COMSOL, ANSYS, MATLAB/Simulink, OpenFOAM, or Python
• Experience with semiconductor processes, plasma modelling, CFD, or digital twins advantageous
• Strong knowledge and utlisation of DOE and statistical analysis
• Familiarity in failure analysis and defect characterization
• Data-driven mindset with strong analytical skills
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving capability
• Excellent communication across technical and executive audiences
• Results driven with strong ownership and accountability
• Hands-on experience on plasma etch equipment and metrology such as SEM
• Endpoint methods/OES experience
• Experience in DOE, 8D, process optimization
• Experience in Process simulation COMSOL, ANSYS, MATLAB/Simulink, OpenFOAM, or Python would be an advantage

• Excellent communication across technical and executive audiences
• Mentoring and leadership
• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking
• COMSOL
• ANSYS
• MATLAB/Simulink

…